Best of all, the weather outlook was pretty good for today and tomorrow. Yes, she’d spend a lot of her time at the resort watching the boys, of course. That was to be expected. But a free trip to Florida was still a free trip. The pay would help her pay her student loans, so she had no real reason to complain.
“No, THAT’S MINE!” Jim shouted with a sudden flare of fury and slapped his twin. Tim retaliated.
Well. Maybe some reason to complain, she thought, and got up to separate them again.
---
“Boys, this is the last time.” She reminded them both as they argued over who got the window seat. “You will each get an equal share of time in front of the window. I’m timing it. If you continue to act up, the first thing I’m doing when we get to Florida is-”
“No!” Jim objected, knowing what she was going to say. A gray-haired man with a neat mustache looked over his chair and gave Laura a disapproving glare. Clearly, he wasn’t enjoying first class as advertised, and she didn’t entirely blame him. Jim had been whining the entire first hour in the air.
“Well, then get it together. Tim,” She thought, considering a possibility. “Would you be willing to give Jim the window seat for a trade?”
“Like what?”
She pointed to Jim’s comic book. “Jim, you could let him read your comic. Besides, you can’t read and look out of the window, can you?”
She knew Jim was deeply possessive of his comics, and that it would be a big trade. Perhaps a compromise paper things over.
Laura saw the wheels turning in Jim’s small, cute head. The boys were often insufferable, but they were also adorable when on decent behavior. She tried not to blame them; their parents spoiled the boys terribly, ruining all the progress she made with them and, until she’d recently insisted they stop, sometimes countermanded her adult directives. They paid well, but she wasn’t going to work for anyone who’d do that.
“Well… okay.” He conceded. Tim was happy enough with the trade, Jim switched seats, and Laura breathed a little sigh of relief.
As the boys switched seats, she suddenly realized that in the rush to get the boys together, she’d managed to forget all of her toiletries. Her toothbrush, makeup, hairbrush, shampoo, even the sunscreen she’d picked out for its excellent SPF were all back in snowy Minneapolis. She groaned, realizing she’d have to waste some of her limited free time getting all of that back.
Wonderful, she thought. Hell of a trip so far. She looked over the boy’s heads and looked at the green and white of the land below. She wondered if they were out of the Midwest yet. She assumed it wouldn’t be long.
Oh well. Buying a bunch of necessities, watching the kids, flying in first class- it was all very comfortable, boring, commonplace stuff. She wished, as she often did, that her life didn’t revolve so much around another family’s plans and whims while she had watched her social life wither and die. It’s seemed a terrible fate, given she was in her early twenties. She wanted to date, party, travel.
Well- she was traveling anyway. Jim rested his blonde head on her arm and she gave him a little pet. Bratty, sure, but affectionate. She didn’t mind the nannying so much, but she did wish she wasn’t watching her own life pass her by.
---
“I’ve never even heard of this island.” Laura confessed when her employers asked her what she thought about San Marcos Island. They’d just completed a brief boat ride from West Palm Beach after a limo ride up from Miami International Airport. With the flight having taken up most of the day, they boat had landed at the docks during the twilight hours, as the lights were beginning to spring up all over the island.
“You’re in for a treat!” Sue proclaimed in her relentlessly cheery way. She led the way as Wes, her equally middle-aged and oppositionally dour husband, trailed several steps behind. He was struggling with his share of luggage which he was insisting on carrying through the town, despite the fact they had hired a pair of strong men to help them out.
“When the hell are they going to allow cars here?” Wes demanded. He had complained a few times already about the luggage. Laura suspected he just wanted to assert a degree of masculinity and, more importantly, to have something to complain about.
Sue clucked her tongue. “They’ve never had cars, never will, dear. I think it’s part of the charm.”
“A little too backwoodsy charm for what I’m paying for this shindig.” He groused as he sweat through his bright red Hawaiian shirt.
As far as Laura was concerned, there was nothing backwoods about San Marcos Island. The town they were walking through was intentionally small and vibrant, with strings of festive lights lining every shop window. Cuban, rap, and rock music boomed from nearby bars, making her wish she could drop in for a drink and to check out the local guys. But instead, she had two small, tired, irritable boys holding onto each hand. She sighed and they continued down the main street towards their resort.
“Here we are!” Sue announced as the group walked up to the gates of the luxury resort. The vast complex lay before them, facing the sea and surrounded by palm trees. Laura was grateful to see that a cart had pulled up to the gates to carry them the rest of the way.
Their porters loaded up the carts and Laura and the boys climbed into a second cart. The man driving had her back to her as she approached, so her first look at him was when she sat in the passenger seat. She turned her head and caught her breath.
The dark-haired, tall guy had a strong jaw, wide shoulders, and killer green eyes. He turned them on her then and asked in a low voice, “Long trip, ma’am?”
“Um, yes.” Um yes? Really? She kicked herself and tried to think of something smart to say. “But we made good time.
Great. Boring chit chat.
He started up the cart and they followed her employers. “I’m Josh Philips and I’ll be your activities director for your stay. How long are you with us?”
“I’m Laura Martin. We’re here for three weeks.”
“Pretty name. Three weeks, hmm? Very nice. I hope you like keeping busy, because I’ve got some fun things planned for you and your boys.”
“Oh,” she quickly corrected him. “They’re not my boys. I mean, they are, I’m just their nanny. You know.”
“I see. Well, we have plenty of fun for the little guys in mind, trust me. Don’t worry, we’ll wear them out and there will be fun for off-work nannies as well, assuming you like snorkeling.” He winked and she melted.
They reached the front of the pink and white building. The decor was very focused on soft colors; baby blues, light greens, and lots of white. Josh hopped out to help unload the carts and the staff quickly moved their things to their rooms. As Wes and Sue checked in, Laura helped the boys find the bathroom as she waited outside. Josh crossed the pretty, wide lobby with its huge fountain in the center and stopped in front of her.
“They seem a little busy, so can I ask you- does the family already have plans for tomorrow?”
“I honestly don’t know. Other than breakfast and swimming in the pool, I don’t think they had anything definite. They haven’t told me, anyway.”
“Okay. Anything they might be interested in, I can assist. Our activities range from golf, sailing, fishing, parasailing, tennis, yoga, anything you might find fun. It’s not too late for dinner in our world-class restaurant, or you can order room service.”
“Maybe. I’m not that hungry.”
“Even for a sundae? We’ve got great sundaes. I swear by them. Well- you know. Once a week.” He patted his stomach. “More than that and I’ll wind up with a beer belly, you know?”
She laughed and he started to turn to go. “What’s your favorite flavor?”
“What?”
“Sundaes! What’s your favorite flavor?”
“How do you know I like ice cream? Maybe I prefer pie.” She teased.
“Nah. You’re an ice cream girl, I can tell. I bet you like strawberry.”
“Nope! I prefer hot chocolate.”
&n
bsp; He snapped his fingers. “Can’t always be right. Good luck.” He added as the boys ran out of the restroom, shouting as they were already in the midst of an impromptu game of tag.
“Thanks.” She watched him turn and go, her eyes lingering a little longer than she wanted to admit. She thought she caught Sue looking at her from the counter, so she quickly diverted her attention to getting the boys under control.
Even so, she thought she’d seen Sue’s eyes narrow when she’d caught her checking out Josh.
Once upstairs, she found she and the boys had an adjacent suite next to the DeVilliers parents. “We’re going out. Feel free to order whatever you like from room service. The boys can stay up, if they’re watching TV in bed.”
The boys were happy to order burgers and fries - so was Laura for that matter - and were surprisingly calm once they knew they could stay up and watch cartoons. They found a movie that even she didn’t mind, and when they’d finished their dinner there was another knock on the door.
“Your chocolate sundae, ma’am.” Josh presented the little dish on a silver platter. She involuntarily covered her face with happy surprise.
“Josh! I mean, I didn’t-”
“No, it’s my treat. Have a great night, Laura.” He started to leave, but she didn’t want him to go yet.
“Wait! Hey, maybe you could help me with something?” She explained having forgotten to bring all of her toiletries. “I was wondering where I could pick that sort of thing up?”
“Oh! Yeah, you’re going to want a toothbrush in the morning at least, right? And you’re kind of stuck here.” He thought it over. “Tell you what. Give me a list of the things you need and I’ll get you the basics tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that!” She stammered.
“No, but I don’t mind. There’s a notepad and pen in your nightstand. Just let me know what you need and you can pick up the rest tomorrow. If you like, I’ll take you over there when you’re free.”
She kind of liked that idea, so she stopped objecting. When she offered him cash, he ignored it. “Don’t worry about that.”
“I insist.” She said, pressing the money into his hands. “A free sundae is one thing. You’re not going to pay for my deodorant.”
He laughed and jammed the cash in his pocket. “Fine, I understand. I’ll be back before you know it.”
She dropped back into her bed next to the boys. They each had small beds of their own, as arranged in advance. As she lay there thinking about Josh’s cute face, Tim piped up, “I think you’re in loooooooooove.”
The boys giggled and she threw a pillow at them. This started a pillow fight which soon calmed down as the cartoon movie started back up.
She was just polishing off the last of her ice cream- the boys had insisted on dishes of their own, so she’d had two more sent up from the kitchen- when there was another gentle rap at her door.
Josh handed her a plastic bag. “It’s all there, change too.”
“You didn’t have to keep that.” She started to tip him, but he held up a hand.
“I don’t take tips from pretty girls.” He claimed.
“Hmm.” She tipped her head quizzically. “And that happens a lot?”
“Not as often as you’d think. And none as pretty as you.”
She blushed. Noticing them lingering by the door, Tim started to tease her again. “Laura and the man are sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S…”
“Knock it off, you!” She playfully demanded. With a quick nod and a wide grin, Josh turned and left.
Laura went back to bed, her heart pounding and butterflies in her stomach. Late into the night she was thinking about him before she finally drifted off to pleasant dreams of flight, islands, and ice cream sundaes.
---
“Oh, there you are.” Sue said as Laura entered the DeVilliers’ suite. “I thought you’d never get back from wherever you were.”
“I’m sorry if I was gone too long, ma’am.”
“Sue, dear.”
“Sue. As I said, I had to pick up a few things from…”
“Yes, yes, fine. It just seemed to take a very long time to me for a trip to the convenience store.” She went to a mirror to check her makeup as the boys were jumping on beds in the neighboring bedroom. Wes was sitting at a table on the balcony drinking coffee and reading the paper, ignoring them all. Laura debated whether to let the boys jump since their parents were allowing it, but then pictured Jim falling off and cracking his head. “Boys! Stop please.” She yelled into the room at them.
Surprisingly, Sue backed her. “Yes, no more of that. I know Laura has been gone for some time, but that’s no excuse.” She moaned grumpily. “Oh, I don’t know how you do it, Laura. You are a Godsend, you really are. I’ll need you to keep an eye on them while Wes and I visit with our friends the Goodrich's for tennis. Wes, you’re ready for tennis, aren’t you?”
“Sure.” He muttered.
“Great! Well, we won’t be very long.”
The adults left, leaving Laura and the kids to their own devices. For a while, they watched cartoons on TV, giving their nanny tons of grief whenever she suggested they should leave. But it was so beautiful out that Laura couldn’t stand it. She finally coerced and bribed the boys into putting on swim trunks and heading down to the pool.
The pool wasn’t too crowded, so she and the boys dipped into the shallow end. After she’d had enough time in the water, she hopped out and stretched out on a reclining chair. She closed her eyes, only for a moment. She knew she had to keep an eye on the twins, even if there was a lifeguard.
A second later she opened her eyes. “Hey hottie.” A stranger in khakis and a polo shirt was looking down at her, leering at her and staring as though she were a piece of meat. He wasn’t bad-looking, this red-haired stranger, but she was instantly turned off by his cheesy grin. “You look like you could use a drink. Can I buy you something?”
“No. Thanks.” She tried not to sound cold, but didn’t want to encourage him either. She’d brought a book, so when he didn’t move she picked it up and decided to read. “Seriously, I appreciate it. But I’m fine.”
“Not into dudes, huh?” He scoffed, shrugging his shoulders. “Whatever. I was just trying to throw a dog a bone.”
She was shocked by his horrid comments. “What the hell?” She was surprised to hear herself speaking the words, but she was so outraged, she didn’t know what else to say.
He was starting to leave and was laughing as she suddenly spotted Josh casually walking in her direction. Josh had his hands in his pockets, whistling and appearing to not notice the red-head as he walked alongside the water. As the two neared, Josh stepped directly into the man’s path and bumped shoulders hard enough to send the creep spinning and into the pool.
“Oh no!” Josh cried out, clearly pretending to be concerned. “I totally didn’t see you there, sir! Are you all right? So very sorry.”
“You idiot!” The man shouted, flailing away at the water. Kids in the pool were laughing at him. “I’ll report you to management! You’ll be out of a job by the end of the day!”
“My sincere, sincere apologies.” Josh kneeled down next to Laura. “You’re okay, right?”
She looked at her harasser wading towards the stairs and chuckled. “Yeah. Doing better now, thanks. You won’t really get fired will you?”
Speaking quietly so as not to be heard, he replied with a grin. “Nah. Written up at worst, probably nothing will happen at all. Management hates that guy. He trashed his room and has been a complete jerk to everyone. We’re all sick of him.”
“Good. I’d hate for you to lose your job on my account.”
“For you? Don’t be silly. I’ve wanted to do that all week. That one was just for me.” He winked. “So, you ever get off work by any chance? If you don’t mind me asking.”
She thought it over. He was asking nicely. “I do have the evening off. The DeVilliers are taking the kids to the movie theater, thank God.”
“Great. Would you like to see some of San Marcos with me? I know a great Cuban place.”
“Well- sure. I’d be free at 8.”
“See you then.” He took off and she was left to daydream about her night out on the town.
---
“Great band!” She yelled for the second time, almost in Josh’s ear when he came back with their drinks. The four-piece rock-a-billy act was just getting warmed up at Shooter’s, their first stop after dinner. She’d managed to fend off three people who’d tried to claim his chair since he went to the bar, and she was relieved when he came back.
“The bassist is a friend of mine. They’ve been working hard at this for a few years.” He replied, similarly having to cup his hands next to her ear.
ROMANCE: CLEAN ROMANCE: Summer Splash! (Sweet Inspirational Contemporary Romance) (New Adult Clean Fantasy Short Stories) Page 124